I Am His Princess
by Aquila Corax
Summary: Remus has just transferred to Hogwarts for his 4th year.  There, he discovers the strange, hidden tradition of the all boys wizarding school.  SBRL.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Warning: There will be slash. For you first timers that means boy on boy action. Not your thing? Enjoy the humor of my other story, Breakfast & Sirius' Rant. No slash there.

I Am His Princess

Chapter 1

"Good morning class." Professor McGonagall looked at her fourth year Gryffindor class with something akin to pride in her eyes. "I have an announcement. We have a transfer student from France joining our school. I know it is the beginning of October, but this is a bit of an odd situation. He should be arriving shortly. In the meantime," some of the class groaned, "we will continue our study of animal to animal transfigurations."

Remus was trembling. He wanted nothing more than to bolt out of the teacher's lounge. He was waiting nervously for his guide to come and take him to his class. A couple of students had already come in to talk to a professor, and accidentally seen him and gave him some weird looks. He was not feeling at ease and the sound of the door banging open did nothing to calm his nerves. He turned to see who it was.

"Hello, Remus. I'm Professor Rorret. Sorry about being so late. I had a pressing matter to attend to." She spoke very quickly, trying to catch her breath. Remus saw her pressing a stitch in her side. She stood up properly before speaking again. This time more slowly. "I'm sorry to inform you that you'll be late to your first hour class. Who do you have?"

Remus looked down at the crumpled schedule in his sweaty hand. "Umm… Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall."

"Oh! Good. I get along pretty well with her. If you had said Trelawny, I'm sorry, but I would've just let you find that on your own." She started laughing before she looked up and saw Remus' petrified face. "I just joking. Relax," she put her hand on his shoulder and shook him a bit, "you'll be just fine here."

Remus let go a little breath, and felt the tension in back melt a little. _Well, _he thought, _at least not all of the Professors are male._

When his parents had first let him know that he had been accepted to Hogwarts, he was really excited. Hogwarts was well known to be the best all boys school in Western Europe. He wished he could've gotten to Britain sooner, but there were things his parents had to deal with in France. He was lucky it was just one month, and not three.

"Well, come along then. McGonagall does have a breaking point on tardiness." With that, Remus followed Professor Rorret to his class. He was in awe of the size of Hogwarts. Moving staircases, hidden doors, some that lead to nowhere. Not that he'd never seen a magic school before, it was just that his French school was the equivalent to a shack compared to Hogwarts.

When they arrived to the classroom, Professor Rorret knocked lightly before opening the door. "I've got the student. Sorry about the delay."

Remus saw the older woman wave away Professor Rorret's apology.

"It's not a problem. Please send him in."

Rorret nodded then backed out of the door. "Good luck, kid." She whispered into his ear as she gave him a little push into the classroom. She waved at McGonagall before departing, leaving Remus confused and alone at the front of the class. He suddenly became very aware of the stares he was getting. The stares were definitely more than just interest in a new student. He caught snippets of what the boys were saying to each other.

"He's perfect for…"

"He kinda…"

"Not bad!"

Any reassurance that Professor Rorret had given him, was disappearing quickly. He suddenly felt like a rabbit in a wolf den. He had to fight his instinct to run to the door, yank it open, sprint to the Entrance Hall and then run all the way back home and hide under his nice, warm covers and never come here again.

Instead, he forced himself to stand at the front of the room until he was given his seat. He was directed to an empty seat next to a boy with wind swept black hair.

Remus sat down slowly, still very aware of all the stares he got.

"Hi there!" Remus jumped and his knocked his books to the floor. There was light laughter around the room. And little exclamations like 'how cute!' Remus was still trying to catch his breath as the boy introduced himself. "My name is James Potter! Nice to meet you."

Remus took James' extended hand and shook it. "Remus Lupin. Can I ask you something?" James nodded, wondering what Remus could want to know. "What's wrong with the people here?" James looked confused.

"What do you mean wrong?"

Remus deadpanned slightly. _Is he being intentionally dense? _"In case you haven't noticed, I'm getting way more attention than what a normal transfer student gets."

James smiled. "It's because you're cute!" Remus turned to look at him again, eyes wide.

"What did you say?"

"You're cute! Cute boys get a lot of attention around here! You better get used to it!"

Remus suddenly realized what an idiot he was for not taking his opportunity to run for it. _Oh well,_ he thought, exhausted, _maybe I'll get a chance later on._

The rest of the day went on fairly well. Besides the strange, lingering stares of his fellow students Remus thought the school was pretty nice. The worst part had been lunch. He had sat down only to be approached by a good sized group of boys. They started bombarding him with questions and asking him weird questions. He had been so scared, he froze. When one of the guys touched his shoulder, he shoved the boy, then bolted for the exit.

It was time to go to dinner now and his stomach was protesting his plan to just skip it. As a pang went though him he remembered he had been too nervous to eat breakfast either. He dragged his feet. He didn't want to face the whole school again. He was considering owling home for food when he heard a ruckus from behind him. Remus turned around only to see a blonde boy being chased by a group of about six other boys.

The boy being pursued spotted Remus and grabbed his wrist as he ran by. Remus felt himself dragged around a corner then pushed behind a tapestry, with the other boy pressed up against him. Remus was too in shock to do anything.

They heard the group of boys run by, and then the chased boy looked out. "Whew!" He said letting out a breath. "They're gone. Thank Merlin!" He turned to give Remus a grin. "Hi my name is Joshua Kellins." He held out his hand and Remus shook it. "Who are you?"

They released hands. "I'm Remus Lupin. I just arrived here today."

A look of interest showed on Joshua's face. "Oh, you must be the transfer student people were talking about."

"They're already talking that much about me?" Remus said in a slightly pained tone.

"Don't worry, by the end of the week you should be old news. Unless, of course, you're chosen…" Josh trailed off with a far off look.

"Chosen for what?" Remus was getting worried. Hogwarts was getting weirder and weirder.

The bright smile suddenly returned to Josh's face. "Nothing to worry about! You'll be fine! What house are you in?"

"Umm…" Remus was trying to remember. He was able to recall a hat putting him into a house, he just couldn't remember which. "I can't remember. I'm in the same house as some guy named," he paused, "James Potter."

"Oh, that's Gryffindor. I'm in Hufflepuff. We're in the same year! Probably would be better for you here if you were a fifth year."

Remus was getting tired of this. Why couldn't things just be explained out right? He restrained himself from asking and felt the hunger pangs in his stomach. He doubled over when a particularly painful one passed through him. Josh looked at him worriedly.

"You ok?"

Remus shook his head. "No. I skipped lunch. Too much attention."

Josh nodded understandingly. "Here, I'll show you something a friend of mine let me in on." He took Remus wrist again and pulled him along the hallway, though at a more comfortable pace this time.

They went down a few staircases until they came to a dead ended hallway. Remus glanced at Josh to make sure this was the right place. Josh stopped in front of a painting if a bowl of fruit. He reached up with the hand not holding Remus and tickled the pear. Remus was stunned as the pear giggled then turned into a door handle. Josh grinned at his captive and opened the door dragging Remus in after him.

Remus couldn't believe his eyes. There were house elves running to and fro setting food down on tables that mirrored the ones in the Great Hall. One of them noticed the two boys and squeaked. It ran over along with three others.

"Students!" The elf cried. "You are intended to eat your meals in the great Hall. But if it would more to your liking, we would be honored if you ate here with us."

Josh looked kindly down at the elf. "We would prefer to eat here."

"Then, please, kindly follow me." The elf began walking away, and the boys fell into step behind him. He led them to a cozy corner occupied by only two chairs and a table. Josh finally released Remus as they sat.

The elf bowed and asked the two boys. "What would the sirs like?" Remus hadn't eaten in the Great Hall so he wasn't sure what to get. Josh seemed to sense Remus' unease and ordered pumpkin juice and chicken potpie.

"Is there anything else the sirs would like Wezen to get?"

Josh paused thinking.

"Can I get apple pie with vanilla ice cream?" Remus asked before Josh could complete his thought. His mother had always made him this dessert whenever he wasn't feeling well. The elf looked at him and bowed.

"We can sir. Anything else?"

Josh shook his head and thanked Wezen before the elf disappeared into the kitchens.

Remus had been working up his courage, since Josh had first grabbed his wrist and pulled him behind a tapestry to now, to ask him what was going on in Hogwarts. "Excuse me, Josh?"

Joshua, who had been watching the elves, turned to Remus with a look of curiosity. "Umm…What's wrong with this school?" Josh was startled by the bluntness of the question, but quickly recovered with a bout of laughter.

"Yes," he said, looking at Remus through his teary eyes, "I guess we do seem like a strange bunch to you. Well, for starters, this is an all boys school."

Remus nodded. "Yes…" Inclining for Josh to continue.

"And, er, all boys have certain, how to put this, _needs._"

Remus looked a little confused so Josh tried to clarify.

"Boys aren't really meant to be separated from girls because girls, _help,_ us with our, _needs._" Josh realized he wasn't getting through. He went for an approach he hoped Remus would get. "Boys need either to get laid, wank off, or have some one else wank them off."

Remus blushed heavily of the language this, seemingly naïve, boy used. "It has been a long standing tradition, that each year, one feminine fourth year, from each house, becomes the House Princess. They dress as a girl and cheer on the members of their house in each of their various activities. Basically, they give the boys something to wank off to."

Remus blanched.

"Here's your dinner sirs." Remus started having a coughing fit at the elf's interruption.

Wezen set down the plates, and went back to the kitchens, glancing back only to give Remus a concerned look.

"Who're the House Princesses?" Remus asked Josh over the pie.

"They haven't been decided yet. They get announced at the Halloween Ball. Then the House Princes and Princesses dance in front of the school."

"How do you know all of this?"

Josh shrugged. "I've been told I'll be the Hufflepuff Princess since first year. Obsidian Sumre has a good chance of being the Ravenclaw Princess. He's pretty cute. He always spikes up his hair, so he's called the Punky Princess, even though we haven't been chosen yet."

"What did you mean by Princes?" Remus was getting sucked farther and farther into the madness. For some reason, he was pretty calm.

"Well, if you're going to have Princesses, you need Princes too. The Princes are chosen from fourth to seventh year. They're almost always with the Princess. Mostly for the Princess' protection against _forceful_ fans. A few boys have shone their readiness for becoming Princes. Ravenclaw is the only one where the Prince is kind of decided by now. Evyn Corvus has been the Ravenclaw Prince since his fourth year. Gryffindor and Slytherin have no obvious candidates yet. It's disappointing, but understandable. I suspect with you here, Gryffindor may have finally found its Princess."

Remus blushed under the soft smile Josh was giving him. "Er, thank you. But, um, I'm not, er, how do I say this, _needing_ a boy right now." Josh started out of his trance and began laughing as Remus' words sunk in.

"Don't worry Remus. I'm not interested in you that way. No insult to you, but your just not my type." Remus tilted his head.

"Then what is your type?"

Joshua broke eye contact and looked beyond the stone walls. His once joyful face suddenly stoic. His voice sounded a bit broken. "I have a habit of liking the guys I know I shouldn't. I follow my heart before my mind." He turned back to Remus, a smile back on his face. "It's like I'm tied to him."

No more words were spoken, except to thank the elves and say their good nights.

"Hey Remus!" He looked back to see Josh. "If you need anything, just let me know. I feel so cool being the Gryffindor Princess' best friend!" They shared a laugh before Remus responded.

"Don't get too set on that idea! I'm not the Gryffindor Princess yet!" As he went on his way to the Gryffindor Tower, thoughts started to circle in his mind. One more prominent than the others.

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Warning: SiRem slash

RRs:

Il Cativo: you review was..err, interesting? Kidding. I think I should continue it too…what do you know! Here's chapter 2! I hope you enjoy!

Realdarkangel: rem is just too easy to write cute and shocked. He gets another shock in this one too.

Do-Not-Upset: sorry about the evil ending, this one might be worse….i'm not sure yet… . .

Athena2693: I wasn't sure how many people would see that… it's nice to know other people like the story. Can't wait for number 2!!! I was reading it and thinking, this would be so cool if it was hogwarts. Then BANG! I was writing it. Scary…

Sui Generis: YAY! Another person who knew Princess Princess! Yes I did get my inspiration there. I hope it's not too similar and not too different. Better too diff than too sim.

TancredTorssonLover: yay! You reviewed! I glad you liked it! I hope you like this chapter too…

Wit3b5: I hope I didn't make you cry! If you like it, check out Princess Princess from your local bookstore. (Borders personal fav!)

I Am His Princess

Chapter 2

Over the week Remus was finding himself spending more and more time with Joshua. And in the same week Remus had noticed he was getting more and more rumors started. Some Hufflepuff bloke even had the nerve to ask him if he was going out with 'that cute little blonde 'Huffpuff''. Not only that, the boy proceeded to ask if he could watch them. Remus was about to punch the boy when Josh came to his rescue and pulled him away with something about being 'possessive over my sweet Remy-rabbit'. The nickname had spread and became the most disturbing thing Remus heard in the hallways.

"Hey! Remy-rabbit!"

Remus refused to turn around.

"Remy-rabbit!!!" The footsteps were getting closer.

He started picking up his pace to escape his pursuer and even went so far as to turn down some hallway and then another, not caring where he ended up.

"Remy-Rabbit!!!" He heard the boy still following him. He reached his end.

Remus lost it and rounded on the boy. "My name is REMUS! AS IN ONE OF THE BROTHERS WHO FOUNDED ROME!!! RE-MUS!!!"

The black haired boy looked as though he was regretting ever following Remus. Remus was panting slightly as the other boy tried to make peace. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that I've heard that name a lot. Let's start over. Sirius Black." Remus was getting sick of shaking people's hands but didn't want to seem despicably rude.

"Remus Lupin. NOT Remy-rabbit."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "Got it. Just wanted to wish you luck on being chosen as the Gryffindor Princess. I hope you find a suitable Prince." With that Sirius smiled, waved his good bye and left, leaving Remus alone and a little guilt in his gut.

He felt as though he had overreacted. Then he remembered how insistent Sirius had been, and he managed to push his guilt to the back of his mind. He suddenly remembered he still had a class to go to. He cursed his idiocy as he sprinted to make it to the classroom on time. He saw the only seat left was the one next to Sirius. Remus sighed lightly before taking his seat.

They had just started talking about transformations between reptiles and mammals when an owl flew in. At least, he thought it was an owl.

It was pitch black with a bright symbol on its chest formed with white feathers. The two tail feathers on the sides of the tail were longer than the ones in the middle. It landed on Remus' desk, careful not to disturb any of his work. He took the proffered letter and watched as the bird took off and flew out the window. The symbol on the breast of the bird was mirrored in the back, only with dark gray feathers. Remus realized what the symbol was, the sign for Cancer the Crab.

He then looked at the letter. The back was sealed by wax and seemed to have the Hogwarts seal on it, but upon closer inspection Remus noticed that the animals weren't the angular, masculine and powerful ones on the crest at the school entrance. They were smoother, more feminine in appearance. The graceful curves of the Gryffindor's wings really caught his eye.

He opened the letter. The graceful cursive gave him further clues as to what this was about.

_Dear Remus Lupin, _

_You have been selected to represent the Gryffindors as the Gryffindor Princess. Please report to Room 246 as soon as your teacher allows._

_My Congratulations, _

_Professor Trea Rorret_

Professor McGonagall knew what the letter said and nodded her permission to leave when Remus looked up at her. He gathered his belongings quickly and left for room 246, the letter still clutched in his hand.

He knocked and jumped slightly when a voice told him to enter. He opened the door and saw four chairs facing a desk, behind which Professor Rorret was sitting. He sat down at the end next to Josh, who gave him a small smile. Remus returned it while looking to see who else was there. He saw two other boys, both with black hair. One's was spiked up and the other's was flat to his head. Remus remembered the conversation he had with Josh earlier and guessed the boy with the spiked hair was Ravenclaw's Punky Princess.

"Oh good. You're all here." Professor Rorret stood up and walked in front of the desk making it less intimidating. "You have all be chosen to be the House Princesses of your own House. Let's see, we have Severus Snape of Slytherin," she went down the line, "Obsidian Sumre of Ravenclaw, Joshua Kellins of Hufflepuff, and Remus Lupin of Gryffindor. Very nice to meet you all." She jumped up and sat on the desk, still facing the boys. "There are some things we need to cover. First, your obligations as House Princess. To begin with,-"

"Wait!" Everyone turned to look at Remus. "You mean we are required to do things because of a position we didn't even want?"

The Professor nodded. "Now, firstly, cheer at House practices. That means you must attend all Quidditch practices of your House. Same thing for Quidditch games in which your House is one of the participants. You are to motivate fifth and seventh years for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, respectively. And finally, you are to dance first at the holiday balls. And now the perks. Your tardies and any missed classes are not counted, you will have a tutor to help you with any missed work, you will receive the best seats for every Quidditch game, the Prince of your House will wait on you hand and foot, you will be able to visit Hogsmeade anytime you desire and you will receive a weekly allowance of 20 Galleons."

After the tirade of perks Remus started thinking he might actually enjoy being a House Princess.

Severus raised his hand and Rorret nodded to him. "Er, who are the House Princes?"

"The House Princes are who ever you want them to be. You chose a worthy member of your House, fourth year or older. They will be with you nearly all the time. They will also be your partners for the Halloween Ball in three weeks. I suggest you find your Prince this weekend as our first meeting in preparation for the Ball will be Monday morning. Any other questions?"

"What will we do for costumes?" Asked Obsidian.

"Your costumes will be made by boys who have volunteered their services to a club whose sole purpose is to dress the Princesses. They will create the costumes based on sketches or descriptions. The costumes should be tied in with your theme for the Ball. The dance you create should help portray a story, or the characteristics of your theme. Each House pair must come up with their own theme. Good luck with that. If there's nothing else," the Princesses shook their heads, "I suggest you head back to class, they may end soon, but make sure to get any assignments. Good bye my little Princesses!" She waved to them as they left.

"I have a question." Muttered Severus as they began to walk down the hallway. "Why is she in charge of us?"

"Because she's the youngest female teacher here, and she has a steady boyfriend." Answered Obsidian, looking ahead.

"She does?" Asked Remus.

"Didn't you notice her necklace?" Obsidian questioned, incredulous. Remus remembered seeing something similar to a silver rectangle around her neck, but that was it. He shook his head. "It's a frame with a picture of her boyfriend in it. It's her way of saying that she's been claimed already. Telling us to not even bother trying."

They eventually separated to go to their different classes. Remus was so absorbed in his thoughts, he didn't notice that the classes had ended and students were streaming out of classrooms. Nor did he notice the boy trying to make a pass at him until he felt his ass grabbed. He was about to hit the boy when he heard a familiar voice.

"It's rude to touch that which isn't yours. Did no one teach you that?"

Remus turned to see Sirius holding the offending boy's wrist in a death grip. He heard the wrist crack before Sirius released it. The boy quickly stalked off, cradling the wrist, as the dark haired boy stood at Remus' side. "Er, thanks." Remus blushed slightly and didn't make eye contact when Sirius looked down at him.

"You're very welcome Princess." Hearing the word from Sirius didn't sound at all unnatural. "After all, I protect that which I see as mine." His hand went to cup Remus' cheek, but Sirius didn't touch him. His hand ghosted over Remus skin before he walked off with a smile.

Remus stood there for a little longer, remembering to look in Sirius' eye and how he wanted to lean into that hand. The words coming back to him sent shivers down Remus' spine.

He eventually came to and went the dorms to help clear his head. He didn't care what class he was cutting, as of today, it didn't matter.

He spent the next few hours just laying on his bed looking up into the canopy. He didn't even get up when he heard the shouts of joy signaling the end of classes and the beginning of the weekend. His stomach gave up bothering him after sometime. He felt half conscious. He was thinking in waves, each thought leading to the other, but he couldn't go backwards trying to recall what he had just been thinking about. It was relaxing and scary at the same time.

He was finally brought out of his reverie when the dormitory door opened and the smell of hot food wafted in. "Hey, Remus, I got us some food when I didn't see you down in the Great Hall. I wasn't sure what you liked so I grabbed a little of everything." Sirius saw Remus still lying down, but looking at him. "If you don't get up you won't get any nice, juicy, crispy, chicken." He said in a sing song voice holding up a chicken leg temptingly.

"I'll eat if you bring it over here." Remus said, still unmoving.

Sirius decided to compromise. "I'll bring it over there if you sit up."

Remus agreed and pushed himself up to a sitting position then back so he could lean against the wall. Sirius brought over the food and set it on the bed before joining Remus. He looked at the other boy for a minute.

"Why didn't you come down to dinner?"

Remus didn't look up. "Busy."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Sirius could tell Remus was getting annoyed, but didn't care as long as he could get answers out of the boy that were not monosyllabic.

"Stuff."

"What stuff?"

Remus glared at him. "How about if I ask you some questions there, Spanish Inquisition?"

Sirius nodded his consent.

"Why did you bring me food?'

"I was worried about you. I'm surprised how long you can go without eating."

"You watch me eat?"

"Yes. Well, sometimes. You're not there all the time. You skipped lunch on Tuesday. Same for Wednesday, except you also skipped dinner. Thursday you just missed dinner, and today you missed lunch again."

"How did you know that?"

"Some Hufflepuff, Joshua I think, asked me to keep an eye on you after he talked to you on Monday."

Remus was touched at Josh's concern, but also hurt that the boy didn't trust Remus to eat. But he wasn't offended that Sirius had been monitoring him. He felt at ease. He remembered what Professor Rorret had said.

"Umm…Sirius?" Said boy looked over. The gray eyes calming and piercing at the same time, like the sun reflecting off a stormy sea. Remus lost his nerve. "Never mind. It was nothing."

Sirius looked curious, but made no move to try and extract the information from Remus. They finished their private dinner in silence. Afterwards Sirius offered to help Remus catch up on his missed class work.

They had been working for a few hours and finally got to Transfiguration. McGonagall had assigned a two and a half foot essay describing the problems that can arise and the characteristics of seven mixed species, student choice, that can be made when doing reptile to mammal transfiguration.

Whenever Remus thought he had put Rorret's words out of his mind, they came back kicking and screaming. _I suggest you find your Prince this weekend. _"Er, Sirius." He looked up expectantly, figuring he was going to find out what Remus and tried to ask him earlier. "Er, would you mind being the Gryffindor Prince?"

Whatever Sirius had been expecting, it wasn't that. He paused a minute. His eyes dulled and seemed to be pained. "Sorry Remus, but I do mind being the Gryffindor Prince." Remus' face dropped. "But I wouldn't mind being _your_ Prince." Remus perked up a bit only to become nervous at the look on Sirius face. It was a regarding smile. Slightly predatory. The Wolf was looking down at his little Rabbit.

Sirius seemed to realize what he was doing and his smile warmed, became more endearing. It coaxed Remus' heart to bravery, he got onto his knees as he leaned towards Sirius and placed a soft hand, gently, on Sirius' face.

"You are my Prince. And so then I, am your Princess." He leaned in a little farther and brushed his lips against his Prince's.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Warning: SiRem slash

RRs:

WrathOfSweeny: I'm sorry you haven't read many good AUs, but I'm glad you liked mine! I put Snape as the Slytherin Princess cause I didn't want to have to make some more OCs, and I wanted to see how he and Lucius would interact. Sorry if it seems weird, just let me know if goes too far.

Il Cattivo: was it that sweet?!? I hope you're ok. Now that you say it, it does seem kind of prison-ish…but it's ok because the Princess are treated just like that, like Princesses. There are just a few assholes who rub them the wrong way(ok, that was not the _best _way to word that…)

Essenze: WAH! Another one! What is wrong with me?!? note to readers: if it gets too cute read in this moment, in this tainted moment, or Shattered Windows. They should kill the cuteness. And yes, I am proud that I killed your brain.

Woah.: well, I don't know what to say…thanks for reading? Sorry it creeps you out. It happens to me sometimes. If you figure out what's so creepy let me know.

Your Mom Is My Heart: yeah? Well you dad is my (let's not go there) I glad you thought it was cute(twice). One Q, what's so hysterical about the Gryffindor Princess?!? I thought it was a good twist! You're going to make me cry! Sniffle

Sui Generis: yeah, the Princes thing was how I got Remus with Sirius, I couldn't really see it happening any other way…

Andromeda Malfoy-Potter: I have the feeling I've read some of your stuff… anyway! Love the review! Be Cool! Stay in School! Stop! Drop! And Roll! Don't do Drugs! And all that other crap!

Realdarkangel: I hope you got my PM. Sorry about the power… nice to know everything is ok now! I hope you like this chapter don't forget to knock on wood for the power!

Feymist: how is it like Japanese manga? I based the story after a manga… but anyway! I will keep writing. It is my life!

Wilfred Humbug: WHAT IS WITH ALL THE CUTENESS?!?!? Whatever. At least now I know I can write non angst. Thank god. And Jesus. And Buddha. And Allah. And Yahweh. And any other religious characters. Thanks so much you guys! I love you all!!!

Chapter 3

"Any ideas?" Sirius asked as he sat down next to Remus the next morning.

Remus sighed, not annoyed at Sirius, merely exhausted. "No." Since last night they had been trying to come up with a theme for the Halloween Ball in three weeks. They had come up with and soon rejected: Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, Sleeping Beauty, and Peter Rabbit. They seemed stuck in the Land of Children's Stories.

Sirius rubbed his forehead, frustrated. Neither boy thought it would be this hard. He couldn't un-become the Gryffindor Prince. "I guess it's too late then. We've passed the point of no return." He shook his head sadly as he served himself a couple of eggs and a piece of toast, making sure to ration Remus a similar platter.

Remus paused, his fork almost to his mouth. Sirius' words had sparked an unclear memory in him. "I'm sure we'll come up with…something…"

Sirius knew the blank, yet concentrated stare Remus was giving the table as he ate. He also knew better than to interrupt Remus as he thought. He would tell Sirius when the time was right.

Remus stood up without touching most of his food. Sirius stopped him by grabbing his wrist. "Where do you think you're going?"

Remus looked a little offended, but remembered he was Sirius' now. Going to talk to another boy is a bit taboo. "I'm going to talk to Joshua. I'm hoping he'll help me."

Sirius sighed, but released Remus' wrist. He muttered a half hearted "good luck" before returning to his own breakfast.

Remus made quick time over to the Hufflepuff table. Joshua was eating there with his House Prince. Remus didn't know who it was, and didn't really care enough to find out. "Joshua, I need to speak with you."

Josh smiled and made to stand up, but his House Prince did the same thing Sirius did. Joshua turned back to speak with his Prince. "Don't worry Matthew, I'll be back soon."

Matthew looked at Josh before switching his focus from his Princess to Remus. The stare gave Remus shivers up his spine and made him want to flee the room. He figured this was why Joshua chose him. Remus pitied the boy who crossed the Hufflepuff Prince.

Matthew stare went back to Josh and he gave a quick nod, releasing the Princess.

The two boys walked out of the Great Hall into the Entrance Hall, out of the way and earshot of others. Remus turned to Josh.

"What do I do?"

Josh wasn't thrown off, he knew what Remus was talking about. "Don't stress out. It'll come to you, just wait."

"But I'm so lost!" Remus started to hyperventilate. He was getting scared. _What if I can't come up with something?!? What will Professor Rorret do?!?_

"Remus," Josh said in a commanding tone, grasping Remus' hands in his own, "look at me. Now breathe. In. Out. In. Out. You have two days. If you need help, Rorret will be available on Monday. Until then, relax. Promise?"

Remus nodded.

"Good." Josh smiled. "Now, our Princes will be worried if we don't return." He let go of Remus' hands and the two walked back to breakfast.

Sure enough, when Remus sat down Sirius visibly relaxed and resumed eating, making sure that Remus did the same.

The rest of the day, the two Gryffindors kept to themselves. Remus spent the time in the dormitory reading, and Sirius stayed in the Common Room, respecting Remus' unspoken request for privacy.

It was nearly midnight when Sirius decided to go to bed. He understood that Remus wanted to be alone, but even he had his limits, and sleeping in the Common Room chair was one of them. He yawned and set the book he had been reading on the little side table, the House elves would put it back for him. He stood and stretched, his back cracking a few times. He shook himself out a bit before he heard his name.

"Sirius?"

He turned. There, standing in dark red pajamas with a blanket over his shoulders, was Remus. Sirius nodded at him, letting Remus know he had his attention.

"Can I talk to you?"

Another nod.

Remus walked over to the couch and sat down letting the blanket open over the other part, inviting Sirius to join him. Sirius took it. When the two were comfortable, Remus began.

"I was thinking of something we could do for Halloween, and I remembered my mother telling me a story when I was very young. She called it The Phantom of the Opera."

Sirius was following so far, a bit confused, but still following.

"It's the story of a young opera singer named Christine and the Opera Ghost. He falls in love with Christine and teaches her so she can become a great singer. But it turns bad when Christine's childhood friend Raoul comes in. He convinces her that the Phantom is evil and for her to trap the Phantom so they can kill him. My mother told me that Christine stabs the Phantom while the two are on stage singing, but after realizing what happened, she then kills herself. It's rather depressing, but it has some amazing music."

Sirius was lost, but not by much. "So, what are you proposing?"

"I think we should Phantom of the Opera for the Halloween Ball. The song is called Past the Point of No Return. It's lovely piece of music and I think it would be perfect for the Ball."

Sirius was quiet for a few minutes. He wasn't sure about this. He turned to Remus. "Is it okay if I sleep on this?"

Remus looked hurt, but nodded. He sensed that this was the end of the conversation, so he gathered his blanket around his shoulders as he and Sirius stood. Sirius took Remus into his arms whispered into his ear. "Good night Princess."

Remus sighed into the embrace and answered back. "Fair dreams Prince."

The two separated and Remus went up to the dorm room.

He never heard Sirius come in that night.

The next neither saw much of the other. They only met at breakfast and lunch. Remus had sat down for dinner and was slightly heart broken that Sirius wasn't there. What little food he had taken from the dishes was barely touched when he left a few minutes later.

_Where the Hell is he?_ He walked up to the Gryffindor Tower, ignoring the couple of looks he got from the passersby.

He entered the Common Room and assumed it was empty until he heard the distinct scratches of a quill on parchment. He saw no one, but could tell the sounds were coming from the chair Sirius had be occupying last night. He slowly walked over, careful not to make a sound. He peeked over the back of the chair to see what his Prince was working on, but couldn't see anything except his back. Remus gave up and chose to sit on the couch next to Sirius and wait.

As Remus sat there he took in the Prince before him. He couldn't see his face, so he noticed other things. The midnight hair that hung like a raven's wing, shielding his face from Remus sight. The long fingers that graced the quill, as if writing took no more effort than thinking. The broad shoulders that, even when hunched, showed great strength. The arms were those of a true chaser, muscular, but still lithe and not bulky. They were no hindrance to his flowing movements.

Remus also noticed a few quirks. Like when Sirius would talk to himself. Not just words or broken phrases, he would have entire conversations aloud, quietly, about the smallest details. He would bite his thumb whenever he got stuck in thought. He didn't bit his nail, he took the whole top of his thumb into his mouth and bit down until the pain gave him an idea. His right leg also bounced up and down a great deal when he got excited about something.

Remus leaned on the arm of the couch just taking in all that was his now.

They sat in silence, neither fully aware of the other's actions. Sirius leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms in front of him as he looked over his work. He then looked around the room and froze when he saw Remus staring at him.

"What are you doing here?!?" He moved quickly to cover the parchment he had just been working on.

Remus smiled as though in a slight daze. "Just…watching…" He seemed to shake it off before he asked his question. "What were you working on?"

Sirius' eyes evaded Remus' as he thought of a reason. "Well, last night, when you told me about your theme I owled my parents to see if they could send me a few things. They did so now I'm writing back."

Remus' eyes lit up as he questioned the Prince. "So, do you want to do it?!?"

A little smile worked its way onto Sirius' face. "I think it would be a great theme. I want to do it."

Remus clapped his hands before striding over to Sirius and throwing his arms around his shoulders. The action forced Sirius' arms to move so Remus could catch a glimpse of what Sirius had been working on. It looked nothing like a letter. More like…sketches.

"We should grab the end of dinner. Let's go." Sirius said as he separated from Remus. "You can go ahead of me. I'll be down in a minute."

Remus pulled away from Sirius but stood with his arms crossed and a skeptical eyebrow raised. "You would be not be doing you duties now would you? I already let you off for one meal, I'm not doing it again. Now hurry up and we'll go down together."

Sirius turned and gave Remus a small smile. "Yes Princess." He gathered his things and got them into his bag without Remus getting another look at them. Remus tried not to appear obvious in his curiosity, but he knew that Sirius knew he was trying to see the parchment.

When he was sure the papers were well put he away, Sirius turned to Remus and offered him his arm. "To dinner Princess?"

Remus accepted it with a light laugh. "I would go nowhere else Prince."

And the two left the Common Room arm in arm feeling more in place with the other with each step.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Warning: SiRem slash

A/N: HERE IS MY HALLOWEEN TREAT!!! AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER FROM ME TO YOU!!! ENJOY!!!

RRs:

2Padfoot00Moony7: Hogwarts is cult like? Quick! Bring me the Kool-Aid! I've never read Eragon, but I watched the movie and I have the soundtrack. I know, I'm a loser who doesn't read. Sorry. Here is your update! Sadly, I have no ideas for the next chap yet.

Polymnia Glamour: yay! Cuteness! Thank you.

WrathOfSweeney: thank you for seeing PHotO as soon as I wrote 'point of no return'. You're rockin'! I changed it because yes, I did want to make it more dramatic. The whole "I must kill Sirius" thought. I like it.

Essenze: YAY! You bought it! I just found out that number four is out there, I just have never found 2-3 and it SUCKS! Go ahead and wibble. I enjoy wibbles.

Realdarkangel: YES NO POWER CUT! I will bask in your happiness. I understand. Chinese really is that good.

ErikaJean: Remus in a dress.. you'll just have to wait and find out. (yea)

RL4SBnotNT: sad thing is, it took a while for me to decipher your name. For the life of me I could not figure out who NT was. I felt really stupid. And THANK YOU for sticking with this story even though you thought it was a bit weird. It's people like you that keep this story alive.

Mokubahv: Very cool. I'm definitely giving you more. wink

Wilfred Humbug: YOU ROCK HARD! Your extreme ego strokes kept me going even when I wanted to just trash this story. If you have any ideas for the next chapter GIVE THEM TO ME!!! I have nothing right now. And it sucks ass.

I Am His Princess

Chapter 4 

Monday night found Remus and Sirius waiting with the other House Princes and Princesses for Professor Rorret to arrive.

"Maybe she forgot." Offered Obsidian.

"She been doing this for a few years, she wouldn't forget." Malfoy explained with almost no trace of arrogance in his voice. Perhaps that was because Evyn was standing in between the two.

They waited in silence for a few more minutes before the door behind them opened. The eight boys turned around to see Rorret looking in at them. "Well come on then. We're supposed to meet in The Great Hall." She ducked out and none of the boys moved. She popped back in, a light scowl faintly etched in her features. "I haven't got all day. Get a move on."

Evyn was the first to escort his Princess out of the room. Matthew was second, taking Josh's arm. Lucius made sure that he and Severus got in front of Sirius and Remus. Sirius closed the classroom door before he took a hold of Remus' arm and escorted him behind the Slytherins.

Once they arrived at the Great Hall they were surprised to see a stranger standing admiring the clear starry night that the high ceiling portrayed. He was rather tall, Remus estimated him to be at least six-foot. As he turned to Trea, Remus noticed that his hair was a very dark brown with almost bleach blond locks scattered throughout. His eyes were a slate gray with a hint of blue.

"Princes and Princesses I would like to introduce you to Raev Cohas." Rorret said as Raev gave a slight bow to the eight boys who were looking at each other hoping to figure out what to do. Eventually they all figured out to bow in return.

Rorret continued. "We will be giving you a demonstration so you can all see what level we expect you to perform at. Please, sit."

They did as they were told, Sirius conjured a soft cushion for Remus to sit on.

Trea and Raev went to the center of the Hall and took their positions. His right hand at her waist, her left hand on his shoulder, and their other hands entwined. They began.

He stepped forward with his left foot as she moved her right foot back. They did a few more steps before Remus realized they were performing a waltz. It was very open. They would release a set of hands, only to have Raev twirl her back into him. Her robes would be thrown from her body, just to return and wrap the two lovers back as one.

Remus was able to see the story they were weaving. She was the Goddess of the river Ocean; he was Apollo, God of the Sun. He was trying to reach her, but each time he came close, he would be pulled away so he could rise into the sky. The Goddess also tries to reach Apollo, but the closest they ever get is at dusk and dawn. These fleeting times are not long enough for the two lovers. So Apollo takes the Goddess and throws her into the sky, where it turns a beautiful blue. And the two lovers remain together.

Trea and Raev ended, much to the disappointment of the small audience.

"Alright, Princes go with Raev and go to the other half of the Hall. Princesses, stay here with me. You all will be getting a bit of a crash course tonight before we send you off on your own each night before the Ball. Now, off you get." She waved her hands at the group and they separated as she had just told them.

For the next two hours, the Princes practiced away form their Princesses, learning how to lead them across the floor and not hit anyone else. Meanwhile, the Princesses learned what signs to be looking for from the Princes hands, and what to do when they got these signs.

For the last hour, the Princes and Princesses were put back together to see what they had learned. Evyn and Obsidian were easily the most skilled pair. Remus couldn't even see the signals between the two. Obsidian only tripped once, and Evyn was there to keep him from falling. They then slipped right back into their steps.

Josh and Matthew were for the most part successful. The only problem was that Matthew was being a little too forceful in directing Josh.

Lucius knew what he was doing, Severus on the other hand, had never danced before and did not have enough confidence to follow Lucius' directions.

Remus thought that he and Sirius did a fairly good job. Sirius, as a pureblood, had been taught proper ballroom dancing and was able to make up for Remus' inexperience most of the time.

Remus hissed as he hit the floor for the fourth time, the most of any of the Princesses. Sirius was beginning to get worried.

"Do you want to take a little break?" He asked looking down at his Princess.

Remus huffed and growled a little bit, glaring at the floor. "Not until I get this step."

That was the one Sirius couldn't fault Remus for, his determination. He would keep on stumbling and falling until he got what he wanted. Sirius extended his hand with a grin. "Alright then, one more time." Remus took the hand and was pulled to his feet.

The eight boys gathered together once more in front of Rorret before going their dorms.

"From now on you all will be expected to practice separately in these designated classrooms. Gryffindor: Room 264, Hufflepuff: Room 137, Ravenclaw: Room 396, and Slytherin is in Room 423. If any of you have questions, Raev will be staying with me until the end of October and you can come and get our help. And with that, I bid you all a good night."

The boys thanked her then left the Hall. They were all too tired to make conversation so they walked and departed in silence.

Arriving at the Pink Lady, Sirius gave the password, "Ruby Sword," and led Remus into the Common Room. Both boys were exhausted, but neither felt like climbing the stairs to go to bed. After a half an hour of relaxing in warm silence Remus gave a suggestion.

"What if we just stay down here? The couches are soft enough."

Sirius lifted his gaze so it was level with Remus'. "But that would be so uncivilized. The Princess should never be forced to sleep in anything but a bed." He smirked.

Remus closed his eyes then arched his back while sitting in his chair in response. "Come on Sirius. Stay down here with me. I don't want to climb all of those stairs." When he opened his eyes Sirius was leaning over him with his hands resting on either armrest of Remus' chair.

"Very well then, I guess I'll have to carry you." Sirius sly grin gave little warning to the actions that he would take.

Remus gave a rather unsophisticated yelp as Sirius picked him and slung him over one shoulder. He started pounding lightly on Sirius' back as Sirius began climbing the stairs. Remus gave up about half way up and decided to just go limp. Sirius felt the dead weight on his back and smiled to himself. He had his Princess.

Sirius gently laid Remus on the bed. Remus then rolled onto his side facing away from Sirius, who straightened himself. "Come on Remus. You have to get changed." A muffled protest was all that Sirius got in return. "If you don't move, I'll be forced to change you."

Remus turned to face him and gave a more articulate answer. "You're my Prince. You were chosen to attend to my every need. Since I'm just too tired to do it on my own, I guess you'll just have to change me."

A slightly closed look appeared on Sirius features, accompanied with a soft smile. "Very well," he knelled on the floor before Remus, "I will attend to my Princess as she has commanded." He gently grabbed Remus' bare left foot and gave the top a light kiss before standing and walking over to Remus' wardrobe. He returned holding Remus' nightclothes elegantly draped over his right arm.

Sirius laid them on the bed next to Remus, who at this point was watching his Prince while leaning back on his elbows. Sirius kept his gaze down as he began to unbutton his Princess' shirt. As he pulled it over Remus' shoulders with one hand, he pushed Remus' lower back towards him from behind so he could get the shirt off of his arms.

Once he had succeeded he lowered Remus back onto the bed while pulling the shirt away and laying it over a chair, where a house elf would be sure to find it. He turned back to Remus only to find him splayed out on the bed, his chest rising and falling with every sleeping breath he took.

Sirius couldn't bring himself to wake the boy so he began to undo the Princess' belt with the barest of touches. Once undone, Sirius pulled the belt from its loops. This required him to lift Remus' hips, which he did by placing one hand at the small of Remus' back and lifting while the other pulled the belt through. Still holding up his Princess, Sirius undid his pants and slid those off as well. He finally set down Remus' hips and also draped his belt and pants over the chair.

He picked up the lower half of Remus' set of nightclothes and knelt down by his feet once again and started putting on the clothing. The dark maroon contrasted beautifully with the Princess' pale skin. Sirius was able to pull the loose pants up to the place where Remus' leg met with the bed. Sirius took his earlier stance of lifting up his Princess' lower half. He was pleased with himself for not waking Remus. When he set Remus back down, he was rewarded with a soft sigh that escaped his Princess' light pink lips.

Sirius knew he had to finish his task before he could go to bed, but he could feel the exhaustion snaking its way into his mind and weighing down his body, slowing his movements. He picked up Remus' nightshirt and proceeded to put it on him. He started by putting Remus' hands through the sleeves. As he pushed Remus up to pull it over his shoulders, Remus' arms brought themselves across the back of Sirius' neck. Sirius was finding it more and more difficult to finish his task with the combined effort of his fatigue and the warmth of the body he was holding.

Sirius set down his Princess and began to button the shirt. Once he was satisfied with his work he pulled back the covers so he could more easily put the Princess to bed. As he lifted Remus from the bed, the smaller boy leaned into the larger body. Sirius set Remus down gently and pulled the covers over the sleeping boy. He was about to stand up and go to bed when a pair of pale arms found their place around his neck, their fingers intertwining at the base of his neck. Sirius looked down at the barely open eyes of his Princess.

"Please," he whispered, "stay with me."

Despite every fiber of his being ringing with the desire to stay, Sirius knew better and he forced himself to take a hold of Remus' hands. He slowly separated them from his being and set them by the body they belonged to. He looked down at his precious charge.

"Trust me, my Princess, you do not want me to stay. Who knows what I would do." He bent down and gave the already sleeping boy a feather kiss on his forehead. "Good night, my Remus."

The next few days were a whirlwind of preparation. Every night the Gryffindor pair worked on their dance and homework, while spare periods of the day were used on making the costumes. Sirius and Remus were eternally grateful for the Court.

The Court consisted of sixteen boys and one Lord. Each Prince or Princess was assigned two of the boys of the Court. Those two boys were responsible for completing the costume of the Prince or Princess. The Lord was in charge of the Court and had to make sure everything was going as planned. Dumbledore delighted in giving titles to every possible person connected to the House Princes and Princesses.

Remus and Sirius met with the Lord on the Wednesday after Rorret's and Cohas' dance on Monday, during one of their free periods.

"How may we help you?"

The Gryffindor pair was bowed into a classroom that looked fairly similar to Madam Malkin's. Different colors and textures of cloth hung from the ceiling and walls, full-length mirrors stood against each wall, and stools littered the floor. It was a strangely inviting and cheerful atmosphere.

A red haired sixth year bounded over to them and bowed when he was by the pair. "It is an honor to have the Gryffindor Prince and Princess coming to us this day. My name is Sean. What can I do for you?" He spoke with a very faint Irish accent.

Sirius and Remus were looking at each other, not exactly sure what to do. "Well," Remus said, as the sixth year stood upright again. "We are doing Phantom of the Opera for the Ball and have done these sketches for the costumes we would like." Remus handed the parchment to Sean. He looked the sketches over.

"Very nice, very nice, I really like this one. Do you have any colors in mind?"

"Well, the Phantom, Sirius, is very black and white, but the inside of his cape is a blood scarlet. Christine, me, is dressed in a sort of Spanish inspired dress. A significant portion of the skirt is in varying shades of red and is draped with lace. The top part is more of a faded antique colored white, also with complementary lace." Remus pointed to the different parts of the sketches as he explained each factor.

Sean nodded at Remus explanation. "I like it. Would you both be willing to be measured today? It would make it much easier to finish your costumes on time."

The two boys nodded at his request and spent the rest of the hour disrobing and having every part of their body measured in every direction. Sirius was far more used to this than Remus, who was more than a little self-conscious. When it was all over and done they went to their dorm room and then to their next class.

Disaster struck the Gryffindors a week and a half before the Ball. Remus had been walking down to the dungeons for their Potions lesson when the previous class was walking up the stairs. They were all Slytherins. Sirius had been too slow to get in between Remus and the other students. One of them lashed out with his foot and struck Remus in the left ankle.

Remus collapsed with a cry of pain and was stopped from rolling down the rest of the stairs by Sirius. He grabbed his Princess' robes and held them tight. Sirius was about to stand up and punch the offender when a fellow Gryffindor did it for him. Sirius turned around to find his friend James Potter yelling at the boy.

"How dare you hurt the House Princess! You better hope nothing happens to Snape!"

The Slytherin boy touched his abused cheek and ran up the rest of the stairs. James bent down to assist Sirius in lifting Remus off the ground. "Here, you better get him to Madame Pomfrey. It would be terrible if Gryffindor was unable to participate in the Halloween Ball."

Sirius nodded his thanks before departing and, half dragging half carrying, took his charge to the nurse. When he arrived Pomfrey went into a tizzy upon seeing Remus injured. She asked what had happened and Sirius told her all he could while he sat Remus down in a chair.

Madame Pomfrey lifted the hurt ankle and inspected it. Once the inspection was complete she collected some strips of cloth and began wrapping them around swollen ankle. "Well, it's not broken. It looks like it was just dislocated or sprained. Keep it wrapped, cold, and unstressed and Remus should heal in a two or three weeks."

Sirius looked aghast. "Two or three weeks?!? We have to dance on Halloween and that doesn't include all of the practices we have to do before then!"

Madame Pomfrey wore a worried and apologetic face. "I am sorry Mr. Black, but Remus should avoid being on his feet as much as possible. That means absolutely no dancing."

Sirius was about to go into a tirade when Remus reached out and took his hand. "It's ok Siri. We'll be fine. I'm a fast healer." He gave a little smile to his Prince, who strained to return it and chose instead to look away.

He spoke in a spiteful tone. "I guess we'll have to get our revenge on Snape."

Remus tightened his grip on Sirius' hand and no smile graced his face for Sirius when the older boy looked back at his Princess. "You will not hurt Severus. If I find out that you, or any other boy did, I will personally remove ourselves from the Ball." Sirius scowled realizing that Remus had made sure that Sirius could not go to James for help.

He eventually dropped his foul look and sighed in defeat. "Very well, I promise on my honor not to hurt Snivellus." He glanced up to find Remus glaring and changed his wording a bit. "Not to hurt Severus."

Remus nodded in approval. "Very good. Now help me get down from here so we can go to class."

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "Absolutely not. Remus, you must return to your Gryffindor Tower and Sirius can fetch your assignments for the rest of the day. I want you to stay up there until dinner and walk as little as possible. I then want you to see me before you go to bed so I can rewrap your ankle."

Sirius agreed for Remus as he picked up his crippled Princess and carried him over his shoulder and out the door. They had only been walking for a few moments when Sirius caught the worried and anxious tone of Remus voice over his shoulder.

"What are we going to do? The Ball is in a week and half and there's a good chance we won't be ready, or even able to dance." Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

Sirius finally set Remus down on a flight of unmoving stairs and sat down next to him. "Don't worry little Princess. Like you said, we'll be fine." The disbelieving glare on Remus' face prompted Sirius to expand. "Besides, if worst comes to worst, I could just tape your feet to mine and we could fake it. Rorret might kill us, but who cares?"

This got a slight smile from the smaller boy's lips, who then sighed. "Very well. If that's the case then I suppose we ought to keep a stash of tape ready." They both laughed at this and Sirius picked up Remus. Though this time in a much more dignified fashion. As they continued their way back to the Tower Remus' hands crawled up around Sirius' neck and he turned into the warm toned chest of his Prince.

Remus had his hands full. Between classes, his dress, and dealing with a very agitated Sirius, who had to dance by himself, at nighttime dance practices, it was hard not to see the stress that Remus was just barely keeping in check. Despite Sirius' promise, Severus Snape had multiple near hexings each day. Lucius had his hands full protecting Severus and took his anger out on anyone who got too close.

It was the night before the Halloween Ball and all of the House Princes and Princesses meet in the Great Hall for a dress rehearsal. Their costumes were completed and everyone was properly dressed except for Sirius and Remus, who would be watching. Remus loved how their costumes had come out and it broke his heart that they wouldn't be able to wear them. The Court hadn't even bothered to count how many times he had apologized to them.

All of the prepared Houses would perform in costume and with the music needed. Slytherin was chosen to go first. Their theme was Dark and Light. "A classic." Rorret had said. "Never can go too wrong with it, but after a few years you wish they could be a bit more original."

Lucius stood next to Severus in the opening position, waiting for the music to begin. Lucius was very hard to miss with his white blonde hair tied back in a silver ribbon and crisp white tux. His cummerbund and tie were also silver. He stood tall and wore his outfit with confidence.

Severus on the other hand had been having trouble not playing with his wig in his nervousness. Multiple times he was told to stop playing with it. His floor length black dress was accented by dark green velvet snakes wrapping around his waist and fanning out to the dress bottom with a long slit that went up his leg.

Standing in front of Lucius now, it was hard to see the scared, anxious boy Remus first met. All that was shown was a strong, confidant woman, staring fiercely into the eyes of her dancer.

They began; the music seemed to be coming from the walls themselves. They did a quickstep around the Great Hall. Never letting go of the other. Alone they looked foolish, but with one another they were perfect. When they finished, the other Houses applauded and Ravenclaw was sent up.

Evyn did not look at all pleased. He and Obsidian, who was becoming known as Princess Diana, had chosen Angels and Demons. There was a rumor going around that Slytherin had stolen their idea, but there wasn't much that could be done.

He too took his place across form his Princess, but on the other side of the Hall. Remus couldn't wait to see the performance that would stem from this very interesting opening. Evyn was dressed as a demon in black and deep blue, and Obsidian was his opposite wearing a white, flowing gown with pale bronze ribbons holding the dress close to his torso. His black hair was covered with a wig that matched the bronze of his dress.

The music began and the Ravenclaws leapt into action. Their dance was entrancing. They were unable to see each other half the time and yet they moved as one body. The dance was so active. Remus now saw why Obsidian needed such a free dress. He kicked out his legs and performed acrobatics that would make a ballerina jealous. It was impossible not to see him as an angel with all the time he spent of the ground. Evyn, on the other hand, stayed on the ground. But his dance was just as elegant and smooth. The story was set: all that was left was for the thread to be woven.

The Angel brought joy and light to all who laid eyes upon her. The Demon grew angry, and jealous. He watched her day after day until the darkness became so great in his heart that he decided to steal her away. He captured her, and no matter how much she tried to get away, he would pull her right back down to earth. They both danced dangerous circles around the other. The Angel saw how the Demon's jealous of her twisted the Demon and accepted her fate as his prisoner. She gave up her wings to sate the bitterness of the Demon.

Remus hadn't realized he had started crying 'til Sirius wiped a tear off of his cheek. The applause that followed was easily louder than the Slytherins'. Lucius looked livid. Hufflepuff was last.

Josh and Matthew took a similar starting position to how Lucius and Severus began. Josh was dressed in an elegant pale yellow gown. Matthew wore a complementary dark blue suit with a white frilly shirt. Remus knew what it was right away: Beauty and the Beast, another famous French story. Remus saw how Josh was looking at Matthew and just couldn't hold it in anymore. He and Sirius would never get that.

They had been unable to do anything remotely close to the other. He remembered asking Sirius to stay with him and waking up the next morning to a cold, empty bed. Remus wasn't exactly sure when had fallen in love with his Prince, but all he was that Sirius meant more than anything he could ever have. He stood up unsteadily and started walking out of the Great Hall

Remus had already gotten a branching hallway when Sirius noticed him missing. Sirius raced out of the Hall searching for his Princess. Remus collapsed with a cry when his ankle crumpled underneath him. He pulled his knees to his body and hugged them. His cries originated from more than just his physical pain. It had all finally caught up with him. He snapped. He just couldn't bear the weight anymore.

Sirius found him curled up and shaking slightly.

"Remus?" He laid a hand on his shoulder but got no response from the smaller boy. "Remus?" Nothing. Sirius tried a final time. "O' Princess, My Princess."

Remus looked up; his cheeks wet and mouth gasping for breath. Sirius could feel his chest constrict with guilt. He knelt on the ground and took Remus into his arms. "Oh, my Princess," he began to rock back and forth gently. "My Remus, why do you cry?"

Remus refused to look at Sirius, but answered him. "I'll never get that, that will never be me."

Sirius was confused and prayed Remus would continue.

"I am so sorry Sirius. I couldn't protect myself so I got hurt, and now I will never have that. I don't deserve it." Remus sniffled.

Sirius now knew what he was talking about. Sirius knew he had been a selfish brat, not worthy of Remus' apologies. He had gotten so angry and frustrated with himself and had taken it on Remus when he wasn't ignoring his charge. He needed to make things right. "But Remus," he took Remus hand in his own and kissed each of the fingers, "you deserve everything you want, and more." He took Remus' chin in the other hand and brought the Princess' face to his own.

Their meeting lips quivered and he felt Remus shudder as he exhaled. He moved both of his hands to Remus' head and refused himself from touching anywhere else. For now, his soft golden brown locks would suffice. Remus' own pale hands shyly explored Sirius' own features. The supple pads of his fingers caressed behind Sirius' ear and then moved to his hair and neck. The black locks slipped like water through Remus' fingers. His other hand began to stroke the back of Sirius' neck in little, light circles.

Sirius was the first to reign in his emotions and pull away. He knew if he stayed in Remus' warmth any longer he would become permanently hooked. As he released Remus' lips he felt him sigh. Ardor hazel eyes opened and stared into his. Sirius chilled his own eye slightly so he could drag Remus back into reality, but tried to do so gently.

"You know we have to back." It was not a question. Remus gave another sigh and leaned into Sirius' chest, holding him closely.

"Just a little longer. I don't want to leave just yet."

Sirius tried to look Remus in the eye so he more easily bring him out of it, but Remus had closed his eyes as well as turn away from Sirius' face. They sat together for a little bit longer, listening to the music that wafted out of the Great Hall. When it ended Sirius knew he had to break this enchantment.

He stood, forcing Remus to let go of him and sit back on his own legs. Sirius took Remus' hands into his own and helped the Princess to his feet. Once Remus was upright Sirius picked him up. Remus protested.

"Put me down! I'm fine!"

Sirius glared down at the little Princess and his voice was icy compared to the heat the two had shared moments before. "You are not _fine_. You probably set your healing back another week with your little stunt. You can piss and moan as much as you want, but I am not going to put you down." His words effectively quieted Remus, who felt guilt wrecking his body as he lay in his Prince's arms.

Sirius carried him to his room and set him on the bed. He changed Remus as he did weeks before, but it was not encased in the intimacy it once was. Remus felt like he and Sirius had taken one step forward and then two steps back. As Sirius stood up to leave, Remus' hand shot out to grab his.

"Please, stay with me." It was the same plea he had made that night.

Sirius stood looking down at his Princess. He was torn, but he had to keep to his duties. He pulled his hand from Remus'. "Good night Remus." He turned and left the room shutting it behind him, putting a solid barrier in between him and Remus.

Remus pulled his hand into his chest and began to shiver. He was wrong. He and Sirius had not taken two steps back; they had gone back beyond the first square. He lay back on the bed, still curled up and shivering. His ankle was throbbing from the abuse it had suffered, but he paid it no mind. The only pain he felt was the constricting agony in his chest.

It was the morning of the Halloween Ball and all of Hogwarts was a twitter. Any conflicts or scuffles between the Houses were forgotten in the beautiful prospect of shortened classes and the Ball that evening. As much as the boys wanted to invite girls from other schools, Dumbledore forbade it so no focus would be lost from the main event. The House Princes and Princesses.

Sirius went down early to get food for both himself and Remus. After what happened last night he didn't want Remus moving anywhere out side of his bed. No one who saw Sirius thought it weird for him to be alone. It was well known that Remus had been attacked. And the particular Slytherin boy responsible had been at the receiving end of many curses and hexes.

Remus was sitting up in his bed staring down at his folded hands when Sirius entered bearing breakfast for the two of them. He didn't look up when Sirius placed the food in front of him.

Sirius placed his own food on Remus' desk and stood by the bed, hands held behind him as he waited for Remus to eat first. That was one of the rules for the Princes: never eat before your Princess. He waited for a few minutes, but Remus never began. He just sat there staring at something Sirius couldn't, or wouldn't see.

"If you're trying to make me die from starvation, I'm sorry to inform you that you would die first."

His little joke was not taken well as Remus' eyes narrowed. But for whatever reason, he picked up his fork and began to consume the fair meal Sirius had gotten for him.

Remus stayed in bed for the rest of the day as Sirius went to all of their classes alone and picked up any and all assignments. He got Remus his lunch as well. And just as few words were exchanged between the two, but Remus seemed a little perkier. Sirius couldn't be sure, but it was nice to be optimistic.

A light dinner was served at three o'clock so the students would not be full for the feast later that night. Sirius again brought food to Remus' room only to see one of the Court boys standing at the door with two bulky packages in his arms. He turned when he heard Sirius approaching.

"Excuse me, but the Gryffindor Princess owled the Lord requesting that the costumes be brought up." He didn't need to say that he didn't enter. It was also against the rules to enter the Princess' room without the Prince's permission and accompaniment.

Sirius sighed lightly. He didn't really understand why Remus would want the costumes they would unable to wear. But what did it matter, if it made Remus happy Sirius wasn't about to say no. "Very well. Come in."

He opened the door to find Remus lying in the bed, facing away from the door. The deep breaths told the two others of his slumber. Sirius didn't want to wake him in the presence of company so he told the Court boy to set the packages on the desk. The boy did as was requested and bowed himself out the door and closed it.

"Is he gone?" Remus' voice startled Sirius who nodded then, realizing Remus couldn't see him, vocalized his answer.

"Yes. He left."

"Good." Remus' voice held a certain exuberance Sirius couldn't ever recall. He pushed himself to a sitting position in the bed and patted the area in front of his crossed legs. "Bring them here. Bring them here! I want to see them." He was bouncing up and down like a child asking for his present.

Sirius went over to the desk and picked up the packages and then walked over and set them on the bed in front of Remus. His curiosity finally got to him. "Why did you want these?"

"Well," Remus answered as he tore into the top package, "what would the school think if Gryffindor didn't at least make an appearance? We had these outfits made, why not enjoy them."

He gasped as he held up the Phantom's suit. The jacket was a resounding black and had a white napkin in the breast pocket. He set down the top and pulled out the pants. The braid down the sides was a very pointed rose and thorn braid. The Court also made the mask and the cloak. The satin inside felt like water running under his fingers. He shoved it at Sirius.

"Here! Put it on!"

Sirius looked at the clothes in his hand. "No."

Remus' face fell. "Why not?'

A smirk stretched its way into his mouth. "Because, it would ruin the surprise for tonight."

Remus beamed. "Fine then," he said playfully, "if you won't let me see yours then I won't let you see mine."

"Very well." Sirius smiled as he bowed. "I guess I'll see you tonight then." He left with the grin still plastered on his face. Halloween wasn't all bad.

It was six-thirty and the Ball began at seven. Sirius went up to Remus' room to help him put on the dress but he froze as he opened the door.

Remus was standing facing a mirror and trying to tie the corseted back. The dress was amazing, even better then Sirius thought it would be. The faded white top was accented with bits of torn black lace. The wig Remus wore matched his hair color perfectly and cascaded down his back. Thin golden hoop earrings swung as Remus turned his head to Sirius and broke out into a smile.

"You like it?" Remus gave a little twirl and the maroon skirt flew from his body. He looked stunning. "I never thought I would like wearing a dress, but it's nice. And with this wig on, it really looks like I'm am girl. What do you think?"

Sirius couldn't answer. His mouth was hanging open slightly and his eyes were wide. His thoughts finally got organized and he addressed the most pressing matter. "You shouldn't be walking!"

Remus gave him a little grin. "Come here." Remus sat on the bed and lifted the dress so his left leg was exposed. The ankle was wrapped, but looked far less swollen and sore. "I charmed it a little bit. I also made it so I won't feel pain. Do you know what this means?"

He was talking so quickly Sirius had to catch up. "But you're still injured. Not feeling pain will just make you hurt it more."

Remus deflated slightly because Sirius was not sharing in his excitement. "It's ok. It's just for tonight. It means we can dance! We can compete! Isn't that great?"

Sirius was still concerned, but he didn't want to put a damper on the evening. He sighed in submission. "Very well. We will dance to night." Remus' face lit up. "However, I want your word that you will not get out of bed until you are _fully_ healed."

Remus knew he had to meet Sirius half way, so he nodded to the condition. He stood up and walked back over to the mirror. "Since that's settled, can you help me do my hair?"

Sirius went to stand behind Remus. "How do you want it?"

Remus stared at Sirius from the mirror. "I want it pulled back from my face with these red ribbons and free flowing in back. And I want the rose to be placed on this side of my head."

Sirius nodded in understanding and put his hands around Remus neck. He then pulled them to the sides, taking the hair in his fingers as he did so. He made sure to keep his touch light.

Shivers went down Remus' back, but he focused on what he had to do. After he wrapped the ribbon around his head a few times, he tied it and Sirius let down his hair and helped him put in the rose. It was very impressive.

"Oh! I almost forgot." Remus jumped and strode over to his desk. "I need to give you this." He picked up something white and carried it ever to Sirius and placed it in his hands. It was a white mask. "Here, let me help you put it on." Remus took it back from Sirius and tied it around his head for him. The black thread fit in perfectly with his hair. It looked as thought the mask was held on by nothing more than the Phantom's will. Sirius gave a little smirk.

"Ready to go Christine?"

Remus started and blushed faintly. He couldn't look Sirius in the face so he nodded silently to the floor.

The Princes and Princesses would perform and then all of the students would eat. Since Gryffindor was not participating, the order of the performers was Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and then Ravenclaw. The eight boys were sitting up with teachers while the other students filed in. Once everyone was inside the Great Hall, the doors closed and the lights dimmed. Severus was led away by Lucius and the two took their places in the middle of the empty floor.

Their dance was very similar to how they had it for the dress rehearsal. They added a little extra here and there, but it wasn't anything impressive. The pair got a healthy applause at the end of their performance.

Joshua and Matthew were next. Their dance a slow and very sweet interpretation of the French tale of Beauty and the Beast.

Remus was getting more and more nervous. He was going to break the rules and he was getting scared that he couldn't do it. Just because he didn't feel the pain didn't mean the injury wasn't there. Sirius was right. He shouldn't do this. He had probably set his healing back yet another week already. Who knew what dancing would do to it. He and Sirius had never performed the whole thing together. His hands began to shake. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to relax. He was startled when he felt a warm hand cover his. He looked up to see Sirius smiling down at him. HE let out his breath and turned his attention Evyn and Obsidian.

The Ravenclaws' dance was easily the best. Obsidian spent even more time in the air doing increasingly difficult acrobatics. The pair ended with a small explosion and the two flew out of the smoke in the form of a black bird and a white dove. They interwove with each other in the air and soared over the crowd's head then they landed up with the other Princes and Princesses.

Remus was beginning to have problems breathing again. Sirius took his hand and whispered into his ear.

"Ready to show those birds up?"

Remus looked over at Sirius with a glare, but he had no choice. He had pressured Sirius into doing it so he had to do it too. Sirius stood up and assisted Remus in rising as well. They walked to the center of the floor and Sirius turned to face the audience.

"Gentlemen, I, Sirius Black, would like present to you Remus Lupin, the Gryffindor House Princess."

The boys all applauded and hooted. Remus smiled lightly and curtsied. Sirius continued.

"As you know, Remus was injured, but has made an extraordinary recovery. He is able to perform night, so we will do so. Please, enjoy."

With that, Sirius turned to Remus and took his position. He gave a predatory grin down at Remus. "Ready?" Remus returned the smile nodded.

The music began, coming from the walls themselves. The Phantom led Christine around the floor. Each movement of her body was orchestrated by the Phantom. Every turn, every arch, was executed under the Phantom's hands. The two seemed so close and yet so far from each other.

The music rose and fell accordingly with each movement of the pair. When they finally separated Christine felt free to move on her own. She melded with the origins of her dress and moved in the flowing Spanish style that came to her. She thought herself free from the Phantom, but knew that she would always be chained to him. And she dreaded the day when he would come for her.

The Phantom waited for the perfect moment to take back his Christine. When he saw his opportunity, he took her hand and brought her back into himself. They danced around each other again and she tried to get away. He would not have that. He came to her and wrapped himself around her and brought their faces closer. And then the music ended. They were frozen together.

Their faces were so close. Their lips almost touching. They would have been sharing air. If only either of them had been breathing.


End file.
